198 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Dogs. 



These dogs bite severely, and always attack the 

 heels of cattle, and, as they are prompt, courageous, 

 and intelligent, a fierce bull is easily driven by 

 them. 



Supposing the shepherd's dog to be the represent- 

 ative of a small section of the domestic canine race, 

 the next to which we may turn is that of the terriers. 

 Two breeds of this spirited and well-known dog are 

 common : one called the Scotch Terrier, with rough 

 wiry hair, short legs, and a long body; the other, 

 called the English Terrier, sleek, with longer legs 

 and a more elegant form ; its ordinary colour is 

 black with tanned limbs, and a tanned spot over 

 each eye. In both the muzzle is moderately long, 

 and sharp, and the ears erect ; the eye is quick, and 

 the power of smell acute ; for unearthing the fox or 

 badger, for worrying rats, and for courage and de- 

 termination, these dogs are celebrated ; and they 

 make excellent house-guards. Who is not familiar 

 with the-pepper-and-mustard breeds, as depicted by 

 the graphic pencil of Sir Walter Scott ? (See Figs. 

 879, 880, 881.) ■ 



Fig. 879 represents very spiritedly three of these 

 dogs engaged in the occupation of rat-catching, and 

 evidently entering into the sport with the utmost ar- 

 dour, encouraged" by their professional director, who 

 holds in his hand their assistant the ferret, which 

 thev have learned to regard as their ally. 



The Lurcher (Fig. 862,) d appears to he a mixed 

 breed between the rough terrier or shepherd's dog 

 and the greyhound. Bewick informs us that it is 

 shorter than the latter, with stronger limbs, and is 

 covered with a rough coat of hair, commonly of a 

 pale yellow colour. As this dog possesses the 

 advantage of a fine scent, it is often employed in 

 killing hares and rabbits in the night time. It 

 steals silently and cautiously upon them while they 

 are feeding, and then suddenly darts forward and 

 seizes them* 



The Greyhound (Fig. 861, d, and Fig. 882, the 

 Scotch greyhound ; Fig. 861, e, the English) is the 

 example of a distinct group : Buffon regards the 

 French Matin and the great Danish dog as the main 

 stocks of the greyhound race ; but this is not clear. 

 In Scotland and Ireland there existed in very an- 

 cient times a noble breed of greyhounds used for 

 the chase of the wolf and the deer, and which ap- 

 pears to us to be the pure source of our present breed ; 

 it is quite as probable that the matin is a modifica- 

 tion of the ancient greyhound of Europe, represented 

 by the Irish greyhound or wolf-dog, as that it is the 

 source of that fine breed. Few, we believe, of the 

 old Irish greyhound exist. In Scotland the old deer- 

 hound may still be met with, and though it exceeds 

 the common greyhound in size and strength, it is 

 said to be below its ancient standard. With the 

 extirpation of the wolf the necessity of keeping up 

 the race to the highest perfection ceased. The 

 hair is wiry, the chest is remarkable for volume, and 

 the limbs are long and muscular. A similar breed 

 existed and still continues to exist in Albania, and 

 was celebrated by the ancients for its prowess. In 

 England the greyhound was larger and stronger 

 formerly than at present, and employed in chasing 

 the stag. Queen Elizabeth was gratified one day 

 after dinner by seeing from a turret sixteen deer 

 pulled down by greyhounds upon the lawn at Cow- 

 drey Park in Sussex. The Italian greyhound is 

 well known as an elegant attendant of the parlour. 

 In Arabia, Persia, and other parts of the East, a 

 breed of greyhounds has existed time immemorial ; 

 these dogs strongly resemble light coursing dogs 

 represented in Egyptian paintings, and are probably 

 descended from them ; of the same type are the 

 semi-wild unowned street-dogs of Egypt, Syria, and 

 South-western Asia. From the antiquity of the 

 greyhound breed, we might be induced to suppose 

 that in it is to be seen the nearest approach to the 

 primitive source, or one of the primitive sources of 

 the reclaimed race, and perhaps the Arabian grey- 

 hound or the lurcher-like street-degs of Egypt retain 

 some characters in common with the primitive 

 stock. (Figs. 883 and 884.) Care and attention 

 have elevated the British greyhound far above the 

 ancient Egyptian coursing dog, or that of Arabia 

 (represented by Fig. 885), of which the form of the 

 head is wolfish, the tail fringed with long hair, and 

 the ears, as seen in the paintings of the ancient 

 Egyptians, erect and very acute. Fig. 886 is a 

 sketch of the Turkman watch-dog for guarding 

 sheep. It is described as a large, rugged, fierce ani- 

 mal equalling the wolf in stature, shaped like the 

 Irish greyhound, and with equally powerful jaws. 

 The ears are erect, the tail rather hairy, the general 

 colour deep yellowish red. This race is of great 

 antiquity, and doubtless still retains much of its 

 pristine aspect, which is so wolf-like, that, according 

 to Colonel Hamilton Smith, " a friend being present 

 in Asia Minor at a wolf-hunt, allowed one (a wolf) 

 to pass out of a brake, because he mistook him for 

 one of the Turkman dogs." 



Of the races with pendent ears and a moderately 

 lengthened muzzle, we may first advert to the 



spaniels, among which we include the pure setter 

 and the rough water-dog. These dogs are remark- 

 able for intelligence, docility, and their affectionate 

 disposition. The fur is long and silky, sometimes 

 curled or crisped, the ears are la.rge and pendent, 

 and the expression of the countenance is spirited, 

 yet gentle and pleasing. • All possess excellent 

 scent, especially the setter, formerly so valued by 

 the sportsman. 



The water-spaniel is extremely useful to persons 

 engaged in the pursuit of water-fowl ; it swims well, 

 is very hardy, and is an excellent retriever. (Fig. 

 862, a.) The French poodle may be referred to the 

 spaniels : it appears to be very nearly allied to the 

 rough water-dog figured by Bewick, the "grand 

 barbet " of Buffon, and of which there is a smaller 

 variety termed "le petit barbet." 



The rough water-dog is a most intelligent animal ; 

 it is robustly made, and covered universally with 

 deep curly hair ; it exceeds the water-spaniel in 

 size and strength, but has the same aquatic habits 

 and docility. It is much used as a retriever by the 

 shooters of water-fowl. 



We are inclined to consider the Italian wolf-dog 

 (used in the Abruzzi by the shepherds to defend 

 their flocks), the Newfoundland and Labrador dog, 

 and the Alpine dog, as the representatives of a 

 distinct group ; the latter dog, indeed, approximates 

 to the mastiffs. We have seen several noble speci- 

 mens of the Alpine or St. Bernard breed : their size 

 is equal to that of the largest mastiff; the muzzle 

 is deep, the ears are pendulous, the fur is rather 

 long and wiry, the eye is full and very expressive, 

 and the form of the body and limbs indicates great 

 strength. Their sense of smell is very acute, and 

 aids them in the work of mercy to which the worthy 

 monks of the convent of the Great St. Bernard have 

 applied them. To the honour of those excellent 

 men be it spoken, that while others have trained the 

 dog to the combat, to the chase of the runaway 

 slave, and to the pursuit of game, they have availed 

 themselves of the power, intelligence, and courage 

 of the dog, in rescuing the unhappy traveller from 

 the horrors of death amidst the snows of the moun- 

 tains. 



One of these noble dogs was decorated with a 

 medal in commemoration of his having saved the 

 lives of twenty-two persons, who but for his saga- 

 city must have perished. He was lost in 1816, in an 

 attempt to convey a poor traveller to his anxious 

 family. The man was a Piedmontese courier, 

 who arrived at St. Bernard in a very stormy 

 season, labouring to make his way to the little 

 village of St. Pierre in the valley beneath the 

 mountain, where his wife and children dwelt ; 

 it was in vain that the monks attempted to check 

 his resolution to reach his family. They at last 

 gave him two guides, each of whom was accom- 

 panied by a dog, of which one was the remarkable 

 creature whose services had been so valuable to 

 mankind. Descending from the convent they were 

 in an instant overwhelmed by two avalanches, and 

 the same common destruction awaited the family 

 of the poor courier, who were toiling up the moun- 

 tain to obtain some news of their expected friend ; 

 they all perished. A story is told of one of these 

 dogs, who having found a child unhurt, whose 

 mother had been destroyed by an avalanche, in- 

 duced the boy to mount upon his back, and thus 

 carried him to the gate of the convent : the subject 

 (Fig. 887) is represented in a French print. 



The wolf-dog of the Abruzzi is pure white, some- 

 what more lightly formed than the Newfoundland 

 dog, but strong and muscular. The hair is long 

 and flowing; two beautiful specimens are in the 

 gardens of the Zoological Society. (Fig. 887*.) 

 ' The Labrador and Newfoundland dogs are often 

 confounded together. The Labrador dog exceeds 

 in size the Newfoundland animal, and is often of 

 extraordinary dimensions. A fine specimen mea- 

 sured some time since, gave us the following par- 

 ticulars :— Total length, including the tail, six feet 

 three inches ; height at the shoulder, two feet six 

 inches ; length of head from occiput to point of 

 nose, eleven inches ; circumference of chest, three 

 feet one inch. In Labrador these powerful and in- 

 telligent dogs are used for drawing sledges loaded 

 with wood, and are of great service to the settlers. 

 (Fig. 862, e.) 



The Newfoundland dog is of less stature, but 

 more compactly built, and is muscular and saga- 

 cious. These animals are also used for drawing 

 sledges and little carriages laden with wood, fish, 

 and other commodities, and are very valuable in 

 their native country. Both the Labrador and New- 

 foundland breeds are admirable water-dogs, and 

 make excellent retrievers. Their fidelity and at- 

 tachment to their masters are well known, and all 

 are familiar with instances in which human beings 

 about to perish in the water have owed their lite 

 to the courage and exertions of these devoted 

 creatures. 

 Our next group contains the hounds, including 



the pointer. Several varieties of hounds now exist 

 in dur island, and of these the Beagle, the Harrier, 

 and the Fox-hound are familiar to all our readers. 

 No country equals England in the swiftness, spirit, 

 and endurance of its hounds, and in no country is 

 so much attention paid to the different breeds, espe- 

 cially the harrier and fox-hound. The beagle (Fig. 

 888) was formerly a great favourite, but is now little 

 used. It is of small stature, but of exquisite scent, 

 and its tones, when heard in full cry, are musical. 

 It has not, however, the strength or fleetness of the 

 harrier, and still Jess so of the fox-hound, and hence 

 it does not engage the attention of the sportsmen of 

 the modern school, who, unlike Sir Roger de Co- 

 verley, are impetuous in the field, preferring a hard 

 run to a tame and quiet pursuit. The beagle was 

 only employed in hunting the hare, as is the harrier, 

 but the fox-hound is trained both for the deer and 

 the fox. The strength and powers of scent of the 

 fox-hound are very great, and many astonishing 

 instances of the energy and endurance of these 

 animals are on record. 



Formerly two noble varieties of the hound were 

 common in England, which are now seldom seen. 

 We allude to the old English hound and the blood- 

 hound. 



Of the old English hound, which is described by 

 Whittaker, in his ' History of Manchester,' as the 

 original breed of our island, we some years since 

 saw a fine specimen in Lancashire. It was tall and 

 robust, with a chest of extraordinary depth and 

 breadth, with pendulous lips, and deeply set eyes ; 

 the ears were large and long, and hung very low ; 

 the nose was broad, and the nostrils large and moist. 

 The voice was deep, full, and sonorous. The gene- 

 ral colour was black, passing into tan or sandy red 

 about the muzzle and along the inside of the limbs. 

 Shakspere's description of the hounds of Theseus, 

 in the ' Midsummer Night's Dream,' is true to the 

 letter as referring to this breed, with which he was 

 no doubt well acquainted : — 



" My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, 

 So flew'd, so sanded ; and their heads are hung 

 With ears that sweep away the morning dew ; 

 Orook-knee'd and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls ; 

 Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells. 

 Each under each."' 



Besides the old English or Southern hound, was 

 the old English stag-hound, or Talbot ( Fig. 862, g), 

 a powerfuf dog, but of lighter form, and more fleet, 

 than the former : from this breed has descended the 

 still lighter and swifter fox-hound of the present 

 day. 



Among the hounds of the " olden time " was the 

 Blood-hound, so celebrated for its exquisite scent 

 and unwearied perseverance, qualities which were 

 taken advantage of, by training it not only to the 

 chase of game, but to the pursuit of man. A true 

 blood-hound (and the pure blood is rare) stands 

 about eight and twenty inches in height, muscular, 

 compact, and strong; the forehead is broad, and 

 the face narrow towards the muzzle ; the nostrils 

 are wide and well developed ; the ears are large, 

 pendulous, and broad at the base; the aspect is 

 serene and sagacious ; the tail is long, with an up- 

 ward curve when in pursuit, at which time the 

 hound opens with a voice deep and sonorous, that 

 may be heard down the wind for a very long dis- 

 tance. (Figs. 888* and 862, h.) 



The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost 

 invariably a reddish tan, darkening gradually to- 

 wards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with the 

 black on the back ; the lower parts, limbs, and tail 

 being of a lighter shade, and the muzzle tawny: 

 Pennant adds, " a black spot over each eye," but 

 the blood-hounds in the possession of Thomas Astle, 

 Esq. (and they were said to have been of the ori- 

 ginal blood) had not these marks. Some, but such 

 instances were not common, had a little white 

 about them, such as a star in the face, &c. The 

 better opinion is, that the original stock was a mix- 

 ture of the deep-mouthed Southern hound and the 

 powerful old English stag-hound. 



Our ancestors soon discoveredthe infallibility of the 

 blood-hound in tracing any animal, living or dead, 

 to its resting-place. To train it, the young dog, ac- 

 companied by a staunch old hound, was led to the 

 spot whence a deer or other animal had been taken 

 on for a mile or two ; the hounds were then laid on 

 and encouraged, and after hunting this " drag " suc- 

 cessfully, were rewarded with a portion of the veni- 

 son which composed it. The next step was to take 

 the young dog with his seasoned tutor, to a spot 

 whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with 

 the blood of a deer had started on a circuit of two 

 or three miles : during his progress the man was 

 instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to 

 keep the scent well alive. His circuit was gradually 

 enlarged at each succeeding lesson, and the young 

 hound, thus entered and trained, became, at last, 

 fully equal to hunt by itself, either for the purpose 

 of woodcraft, war, or " following gear," as the pur- 

 suit after the property plundered in a border foray 

 was termed. 



